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The
actor John Wayne, born Marion Morrison, was from Winterset, which is
still in Iowa - but around 150 miles away from Waterloo.

John
Wayne Gacy, also known as the 'Killer Clown', was executed in 1994 for
raping and murdering more than 30 boys and young men.

MARION MORRISON

Born: May 26 1907 (Winterset, Iowa)

Died: June 11 1979 (Los Angeles, California)

Known as: 'John Wayne'

Occupation: Actor

Oscar-winning American screen icon who appeared in more than 175 films in a hugely successful career spanning five decades

JOHN WAYNE GACY

Born: March 17 1942 (Chicago, Illinois)

Died: May 10 1994 (Joliet, Illinois)

Known as: 'Killer Clown'

Occupation: Shoe salesman; KFC manager

Serial killer who murdered 33 boys and young men in the 1970s before being executed by lethal injection in 1994

Mixed up: John Wayne, left, was an actor born in Winterset, Iowa, but John Wayne Gacy, right, was a serial killer who came to Waterloo, Iowa, from Chicago, Illinois

Gacy was born in Chicago, Illinois,
before moving to Waterloo, where he lived for a short time and also had
his first criminal conviction.

It was for an attempted homosexual assault and it landed him in prison for 18 months, reported The Washington Times.

He
then moved back to Iliinois and began his six-year killing spree
between 1972 and 1978 before being later convicted and sentenced to
death.

'We cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama. Make no mistake about it, Barack Obama will be a one-term president. Mr President, your policies haven't worked (and) spending our way out of the recession hasn't worked'

Michele BachmannRepublican 2012 presidential candidate

Mrs Bachmann's team
have since tried to clear up what she meant, saying that John Wayne's
parents lived in Waterloo, although their son did not.

They moved to Winterset before he was born, reported ABC.

The outspokenTea Party favourite also tore into President Obama as she sought to capitalise on
soaring poll ratings and cast herself as the 'bold choice' for a
Republican President.

After a week of winning right-wing praise for hardline opinions on subjects from energy-saving light bulbs to gay marriage, the Minnesota congresswoman told supporters: 'We can't afford four more years of
Barack Obama'.

The
55-year-old was in her native Iowa to launch an official bid, with
surprise polls predicting her as a force in the state that opens the GOP
nomination contest, putting her well ahead with Mitt Romney.

Outside
a historic mansion in Waterloo, Mrs Bachmann said she is waging her
campaign 'not for vanity', but because voters 'must make a bold choice
if we are to secure the promise of the future'.

'We can't afford four more years of
Barack Obama,' she said. '(He) will be a one-term president. Mr
President, your policies haven't worked (and) spending our way out of
the recession hasn't worked.

Great setting: Mrs Bachmann speaks to supporters during her announcement outside a historic mansion

Waving: Mrs Bachmann and her husband Marcus stood together after she addressed supporters

'We cannot afford four more years of
millions of Americans who are out of work and are not making enough in
wages to support a family.

'We can't afford the unconstitutional health care law that costs so much and delivers so little.

'The
liberals, and to be clear I am not one of those, want you to believe
the Tea Party movement is just the right wing of the Republican Party.
Nothing could be further from the truth.

MICHELE BACHMANN IN QUOTES

ENVIRONMENT: 'The government has no business telling an individual what kind of light bulb to buy'

GAY MARRIAGE: 'Every time it's going on the ballot, the people have decided to keep the traditional definition'

DEBT: 'It isn't true the government would default on its debt. It is scare tactics'

ABORTION: 'I firmly believe in moving toward and promoting a culture that values and respects the sanctity of life'

UNEMPLOYMENT: 'This president has failed (the) African-American community. He has failed us all when it comes to jobs'

HEALTHCARE: 'We can't afford the unconstitutional health care law that costs so much and delivers so little'

'Our
problems don't have an identity of party, they are problems that were
created by both parties. Americans aren't interested in affiliation,
they're interested in solutions.'

Meanwhile,
her amped-up looks and wardrobe choices are causing a stir in the
fashion world, with a carefully-considered pale grey dress and matching
jacket outfit seen as tasteful and understated.

After the formal Iowa kick-off, she
plans to shift her focus to New Hampshire and South Carolina - other
states with traditions of separating the viable contenders from the
political also-rans.

Mrs Bachmann’s
hardline approach to issues such as gay marriage has already seen her
declare she would issue a constitutional amendment to make marriage
between a man and a woman only.

Her ideologies have earned her a loyal
following but also plenty of guff from those who see her as a fringe
politician - and many analysts say she has a me-against-the-world view
of politics.

‘Her trick is going to be to maintain that boldness and to somehow reign it in and discipline it so it works for her and not against her,’ GOP pollster Mike McKenna said.

‘She's a hell of a lot closer to where the party is right now than where (the other candidates are).’

So to shore up her campaign she has recruited aides in Iowa and New Hampshire who worked on the campaigns of previous presidential hopefuls Mike Huckabee and John McCain.

She insists her combative style will
give her something different to her measured rivals such as governors
Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Jon Huntsman and former House Speaker Newt
Gingrich.

Audience: Bachmann, who was born in Waterloo, Iowa, will continue her announcement tour this week with stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina

Applause: Michele Bachmann, pictured right with her husband Marcus, enjoyed a rapturous reception

‘I've been consistent, nothing but
consistent,’ Mrs Bachmann said. ‘I don't say things for political value.
I'm authentic in what I say.’

CV: MICHELE BACHMANN

Age: 55

Birthplace: Waterloo, Iowa

Education: Winona State University, Oral Roberts University and College of William and Mary

Marital status: Married to Marcus for 33 years; five children and 23 foster children

Previous career to politics: Federal tax litigation attorney

Elected to Minnesota State Senate, 2000

First Republican woman to be elected to the House of Representatives from Minnesota, 2006